Pharmacological Diets for Drying Conditions Based on Symptoms
Autumn and winter are the driest seasons of the year. Dryness often leads to dry nose, dry throat, dry skin, and increased wrinkles. Traditional Chinese medicine classifies dryness into different syndromes and prescribes specific dietary approaches to counteract dryness accordingly.
Dryness Affecting Lung and Defensive Qi: Main symptoms include fever, headache, slight aversion to wind and cold, dry mouth and nose, dry cough without phlegm, sore throat. Treatment should emphasize pungent-dispersing and sweet-moistening foods. For example, Sang Xing Yin: use 10g Mulberry Leaf, 5g Apricot Kernel, 5g Shashen, 15g Pear Peel, 3g Rock Sugar, decoct and drink as tea.
Dryness Damaging Stomach Fluids: Main symptoms include dry mouth and thirst, reduced urination, constipation, dry retching, pale red tongue without coating or with cracks, fine pulse. Treatment should focus on nourishing the stomach and moistening dryness. For example, Snow Pear Juice: take one large sweet water pear, slice thinly, soak in cool boiled water for half a day, sip frequently. Wu Zhi Yin (Five Juices): mix equal parts of pear juice, lotus root juice, fresh reed root juice, Ophiopogon juice, and lotus stem juice, adjust quantities as needed, mix well and serve chilled. Sesame Porridge: 6g Sesame Seeds, 30g White Rice, optional sugar or honey. First roast sesame until fragrant, then cook rice into porridge, add sesame and sugar/honey just before finishing.
Dryness Damaging Liver and Kidney: Main symptoms include dry, lusterless skin, night sweats, five-palm heat or low-grade fever, dry cough, blood-tinged sputum, smooth tongue without coating, pale color, weak pulse. Treatment should focus on nourishing yin and enriching blood. For example, Ma Ren Zhou (Hemp Seed Porridge): 20g Hemp Seeds, 80g White Rice, cook into porridge. Tian Men Dong Zhou (Heavenly Gate Winter Root Porridge): 30g Heavenly Gate Winter Root, 50g White Rice, cook into porridge. Ejiao Porridge: 30g Ejiao, crush, stir-fry, grind into powder, then cook glutinous rice into porridge, mix in Ejiao powder before serving.
Note: These dietary therapies should be used according to symptoms and ideally under guidance from a licensed TCM practitioner.